Lifeguard: Marietta Aquatic Center lifeguard honored for saving boy

Yousuf Algarhy, a lifeguard at the Marietta Aquatic Center, accepts an award from Marietta Fire Chief C.W. Durham for saving the life of a 6-year-old boy in June. Algarhy noted that this was his first rescue and his first season as a lifeguard. Algarhy will be a freshman at Marietta High School next school year. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

The Marietta Fire Department presented an award to Yousuf Algarhy, a lifeguard at the Marietta Aquatic Center, for saving the life of a 6-year-old boy on June 14.

According to Algarhy, the boy had hit his head earlier on the pirate ship and had to sit out of the pool to recover.

Once the boy recovered, he returned to the pool, but to an area where the water was too deep. Algarhy said he heard the boy scream and jumped into the pool.

Algarhy said he arrived at the boy just as his head was underwater.

“I had a memory lapse for a while” Algarhy said. “It was just a matter of instinct.”

Algarhy said he talked to the boy until he was out of the water.

Fire Chief CW Durham said the boy did not need to go to hospital thanks to Algarhy’s quick action.

An ambulance was called for the boy, but Durham said he did not suffer any serious injuries.

Durham mentioned that this award is “not often given,” and is being kept for rescue measures. Durham said only two of them have been distributed so far this year.

“We are happy to be able to recognize this,” Durham said. “He deserves this recognition.”

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